Mostly Hurling:So the dust has settled after the league. Waterford's win, will at least, give a few teams a glimmer of hope that Kilkenny are not invincible. The signs were looking ominous that the Cats were opening up a gap no other team would be capable of closing this year. But Justin McCarthy's team prevailed and hope appeared on the horizon for, at least, a few teams.

Antrim have already pucked a standard sliotar in a championship that won't really swing into action until Sunday week when Clare and Cork and Offaly and Laois cross hurleys.

But has anything changed in those short few weeks since the Waterfordmen annexed the first silverware of the season?

Well Antrim have beaten London, but I don't think we've seen anything in that game to suggest they will be contenders. Sambo McNaughton, I have no doubt, will do his best but he just doesn't have enough of a pick of quality hurlers or quality games.

Laois were beaten by Limerick in their recent relegation play-off. Like Antrim they are likely to remain in a kind of in-between place: a little too good for the second division and the Christy Ring Cup but not good enough for the Liam McCarthy.

Dublin will find the going tough in the qualifiers. They have an excellent underage structure and if they can keep the players hurling they could make it higher up the ladder before long. This year, however, they will have to settle for being also-rans.

Limerick will probably have to be content with a quarter-final place. They showed no consistency in the league, though in that they were not alone - did any team show consistency?

It's great to see Andrew O'Shaughnessy in fine scoring form again, but if he is held or has an off day Limerick are in trouble. They're just too dependent on him to do the scoring. And yet I expect Tipperary will fear them when they meet in June.

I was impressed with Offaly's young players when they met Cork in their opening league match. But like Limerick, they've been inconsistent. They just don't have a settled team.

They might beat Laois in their opening game before being offered up to Kilkenny in the next round. So they can forget about a Leinster championship and hope to reach the quarter-finals through the qualifiers.

Wexford had quite a good league campaign, much better than many anticipated, but just could not match Kilkenny in any area in their semi-final. Dublin won't fear them in their Leinster semi, but I expect Wexford to prevail. The story ends there for them in Leinster though.

We're hearing more than necessary these days about Clare's off-field and boardroom shenanigans; they're almost rivalling An Taoiseach for column inches. But the on-field fact remains the Banner have lost the spine of their team. They'll line out against Cork without Davy Fitz, Brian Lohan, Seán McMahon, Tony Carmody and Tony Griffin. No team can afford to lose players of their calibre.

The pressure has been mounting on Tony Considine. A win against Cork would shut the critics up. Indeed, with a little luck and a little more accuracy from the forwards, Clare might have beaten Cork in the last league match of the series. But Cork will have improved and will probably be a bridge too far for the Bannermen, who might be hard pushed to make the quarter-finals this year.

Galway have not provided enough evidence to merit being rated as contenders, but write them off at your peril. It's difficult to evaluate them. They certainly have enough quality players in the county to make a team good enough to win the championship, but will they do it this year? On the league evidence we'll keep our money in our pockets. I do think they will be hard to beat. I just don't know if they are ready yet to wear the mantle of champions.

I'm really not sure what to say about Tipperary. I think they will have been quite pleased with their last 20 minutes against Waterford, particularly having had to play without Eoin Kelly in that period. Kelly is such a vital player for Tipp, but really there is far too much expected of him. Tipp will respect Limerick but should make it through to a third Munster final in a row.

Cork should beat Clare but will find the going tough against Waterford. The Déise won't fear Cork now that they have beaten them in a big game.

The laws of averages (whatever they are) might work against the Rebels this year. Can they reach the final for the fifth year in a row? This is almost unheard of in modern-day hurling. Only two counties have managed the feat. Kilkenny were the last to achieve it - from 1971 to 1975 - winning two in a row and three titles in that five-year period. Cork also contested five finals in a row - between 1901 and 1905 - winning only two, but in succession - in that spell.

This present team will, however, be a match for anyone if they still have that huge hunger and work ethic that has carried them through the last four years.

Waterford have probably more pressure on them now than ever. For the last five years there's been the annual expectancy that Liam MacCarthy would winter in the Déise. Well this is the year; it's now or never.

I'm not convinced though. I'm not sure that they have a strong-enough squad. Is too much expected of the imperious Ken McGrath? Can Eoin Kelly keep his head when things go against him? Will Big Dan deliver this year? Where is Paul Flynn in the equation?

Like Cork, they need everything going right for them on the big day (well, on five big days). But this year they have the confidence of knowing they have beaten the big two and can do it again.

Last but by no means least, we come to the bookies' favourites. Kilkenny are being quoted at 5 to 4 favourites to win this year's title. Cork are next at 7 to 2. Waterford and Galway are 5 to 1.

The Cats have by far the strongest squad. If they play with that huge intensity they had in last year's final they will be very difficult to beat.

But this is the championship and in late July we'll have knockout. Until then there's hope for everybody.